Light or voltage regulator.



0. A. EAKEN.

LIGHT OR VOLTAGE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-13.1915.

1,214,021. Patented Jan. 30,1917.

PA TENT OFFICE.

nwrenr'a. EAKEN, or LODI, onro.

LIGHT on. VOLTAGE REGUIIATO}%.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Application filed December 13, 1915. Serial No. 66,570.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT A. EAKEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lodi, in the, county of Medina and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and, useful Improvements in Light or VoltageRegulators, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in light or voltage regulators, theprimary object of the invention being to produce a constant voltage witha variable speed, the present embodiment of the invention beingparticularly designed and adapted for use in connection with theelectric lighting system now employed in Ford cars-embodying a. magnetoand in which it is desirable to main tain a constant voltage withvariable engine speeds, thereby preventing the burning out of the lampsand feeding and maintaming a constant voltage to the lamps therebycausing the same to burn with uniform brilliancy through the maintenanceof substantially uniform or constant voltage of current thereto.

A further object is the provision of a generally improved current orvoltage regulator for use in connection with an electric lighting systemof the character above indicated which may be readily installed in carsnow in use (as for example in Ford cars) in connection with conventionaldevices, as for example, in connection with the fan and its mountings asshown in the present embodiment of the invention.

A further object is the provision of a generally improved device of thisclass which will be exceedingly simple in construction,

.cheap of manufacture. and efiicient in use.

With the above mentioned and other ends in view, theinvention consistsin the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts,hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in theaccompae a variations in the speed of the englne or magnying drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings forming a partof this specification, Figure 1,is a view of the improved device attached to and embodied in a fan andmounted in an automobile of the Ford type, the conventlonal fofi ofmovable fan supporting arm or bracket, however, being in loosened orsuspended position for the purpose of clearer illustration of the parts.Fig.2, an enlarged detail view of the fan and supporting bracketremoved, the dotted lines illustrating the posltion of the governor andcontroller parts at high engine speed. Fig. 3, a cross sectional viewtaken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4,=a rear end view, the fan bladesbeing removed. Fig. 5, a detail detached perspective view of the contactshoe or element carried by the movable or variable spring resisted armfor cooperating with the contact members of the resistance coil. Fig. 6,a diagrammatic view of the lamp circuit wiring in connection with themagneto, switch, and resistance coil.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout all thefigures of the drawings.

. As shown in Fig. 6, of the drawings, the

lamps 1, are suitably connected to the magneto 2, through suitable wiresor conduits 3, a suitable switch 4, being employed, said conduits 3,leading to the resistance coil 5, carried upon an insulating element orbracket 6. The resistance coil is suitably grounded through the machinethrough the variable contact element or arm hereinafter described and iprovided with a plurality free end slidably arranged in cooperativerelation to the contact elements 5, 'so as to successively make contactwith such contact elements as moved to and fro with the riable contactelement or lever 8, in accordance with the speed of the engine andmagneto, a suitable rotating shaft 9, is provided with Suitable governormechanism, and a suitable coiiperating plunger or shaft 10,

riable contact element or lever 8, as well as,

the supporting bracket 7, upon the conven- 'tional form of fansupporting arm or bracket 11, carrying the fan 12, such as commonlyemployed in this class of motor driven vehicles, and the governoractuating plunger 10, is slidably mounted in the fan shaft 9, suchgovernor mechanism, in the present instance, comprising a pair ofgovernor arms 13, mounted in a pair of oppositely arranged and disposedbearing brack-- ets 14, carried on the hub portion of the fan, the freeends of the governor arms being adapted to work in suitable slots 12*,in cooperative relation to the head of the plunger shaft 10, and theoutward movements of the ball portions 13, of the governor arms beingregulated through the coiledex: pansion spring 15, the latter beingadjustably connected to the variable contact element or lever 8, throughthe medium of the adjusting bolt and nut 16, the opposite end of thespring 15, being connected to the outer or free-ends of the bracket orsupporting elements 7, through the medium of the connecting eye orstaple 17.v

It will be seen that the pivoted portion of the variable contact elementor lever 8, extends across the end of the plunger or governor actuatedshaft 9, directly at the rear of the fansupporting'arm or bracket 11,(see Fig. 4) said variable contact lever 8, being supported, in thepresent'instance, by means ofa supporting bracket If; extendingrearwardly from the fan supporting arm or bracket -11.

The free end of the variable or movable contact lever 8, is preferablyprovided with a contact element of shoe 8 see Fig. 5) said contact shoe8 being maintained in con-,

stant frictional contact with the contact ele ments 5*, of thesuccessive convolutions of the resistance coil 5, through the relativearrangement and connections of the coiled expansion spring 15, as willappear most clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and it will also beobserved that the contact elements 5, are conveniently formed by meansof a series of screws suitably connected with the coils or convolutionsof the resistance coil 5,-and passing into the insulating element orreslstance coil supporting bracket 6.

Itwill be .seen that by embodying the light or voltage regulator in thefan and its mountings, I provide a combined fan and voltage regulatorwhich may be readily attached' to automobiles now in use by simplydetaching the old fan supporting arm or voltage regulator and connectingup the a electric wires or conduits in a suitablemanner. It will also'beobserved that the successive convolutions of the resistance coil 5,leading to the contact elements 5, on the insulating bracket 6, aregraduated as to length so that the resistance is gradually increasedwith the increase in the speed of the fan shaft thereby providing aconstant voltage to the lights with the various speeds of the engine andit will also be seen that the resistance coil being located at the rearof the fan is adapted to be cooled, by a current from the latter.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, theoperation and advantages of my invention willbe readily understood.

Having thus described one of the embodiments of my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,vis,-

1. In a voltage regulator for automobiles,

the combination with a rotary shaft, a'

bracket support for said shaft, and governor mechanism carried by saidshaft; of an insulating element mounted on said bracket support andcarrying a variable resistance,

and a contact element operated by said governor mechanism and adapted totraverse said resistance in accordance with the speed of said shaft. 2.In a voltage regulator for automobiles, an electric circuit including aplurality of lamps and a magneto, a resistance coil in said circuit, arotary shaft provided with governor mechanism and a fan adapted to coolsaid resistance coil, and a support for said shaft provided with aspring resisted variable contact element on said support and actuated bysaid governor mechamsm and traversing said resistance coil in accordancewith the speed of rotation of said shaftfi 3. .In a voltage regulatorfor automobiles, the combination with an electric circuit ineluding aplurality of lamps and a magneto, and a graduated resistance coil havinga series of contact elements; of a fan and fan shaft provided withgovernor mechanism said fan being in front of said resistance coil tocool the latter, a governor actuated plunger in said fan shaft, and aspring resistedvariable contact lever in cor'iperative relation to saidplunger and said contact elements of said resistance coil.

and a bracketcarrying a graduated resistance coil having a series ofcontact eleing said rotary shaft and first mentioned bracket, a governoractuated plunger in said shaft, and a spring resisted lever contactelement operated by said plunger in variable contact with said contactelements of said resistance coil in accordance with the speed ofrotation of said shaft.

5. In a light or voltage regulator for antomobiles, the combination witha magneto and a pair of lamps arranged in parallel circuit therewith,and a resistance coil provided With a series of contact elements; of arotary shaft provided with "governor mechanism and afan in front of saidresistance coil, a governor actuated plunger in said shaft, and a springresisted variable contact element in cooperative relation to saidplunger and contact elements of said resistance coil. a

6. In a voltage regulator for automobiles, a fan and fan shaft, asiipport for said fan shaft, an insulating bracket mounted on saidsupport at the rear of said fan, and provided with a resistance coilprovided with a series of contact elements, a spring resisted levermounted on'said support and having its free end adapted to traverse andmake s'uve contact with said contact elements, a plunger in said fanshaft in coiiperative relation to said lever, and governor mechanism onsaid fan shaft in coiiperative relation to said plunger.-

7. A. voltage regulator for automobiles,

' comprising a fan and fan shaft, a support for said fan and fan shaft,an insulating element on said support carrying a res stance coil at therear of said fan, a spring resisted variable contact lever on saidsupport having its free end in contact with and adapted to traverse thecoils of said ance coil, aplunger in said fan shaft adapted to actuatesaid contact lever, and governor mechanism carried by said fan and fanshaft in cooperative relation to said plunger. I

- 8. In -a voltage regulator for automobiles, the'combination with a fanand fan su port, aninsulating bracket mounted on support at the rear ofsaid fan and provided with a resistance coil and a plurality of contactelements; of a variable contact element carried by said support incooperative relation to said contact elements, governor mechanismcarried by saidfan m coiiperative relation to said variable contactelement, and a spring adjustably connected to said variable contactelement whereby to-regulate the latter and said governor mechamsm.

4 9. A combined fan and voltage regulator v for automobiles, comprisinga fan and fan shaft, a supportfor said fan shaft provided i,

with an insulating bracket carrying a resistance coil at the rearof saidfan, said resistance coil being provided with a plurality ofcontacteelements, a spring lever carried by said support in co6perativerelation to said contact elements, a plunger in i said fan shaft inengagement with said lever, and governor mechanism on said fan connectedwith said plunger and operating against the redstance of 'said springresisted lever whereby the latter is adapted to traverse and makecontact with said contact elements in accordance with the speed ofrotation of said fan shaft. J

' In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signaturein the presence of twowitn DWIGHT A. EAKEN.

